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Knuckleballers are a rare breed. The pitch that made legends like Hoyt Wilhelm and Tim Wakefield famous is so hard to control most pitchers shy away from the pitch. With so much emphasis on spin rate and velocity, it makes sense that there is little priority on learning how to master the knuckleball. Tuesday night, San Diego’s Matt Waldron chalked up eight strikeouts, using the knuckleball as the third strike all eight times. Even more impressive was Waldron’s zero walks. So, where does last night’s game rank in the most dominant knuckleballer games since 2000?
7 scoreless innings and 8 Ks from Matt Waldron tonight.
pic.twitter.com/qBQ8kCvpoY
— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2024
The Most Dominant Knuckleballer Games Since 2000
Matt Waldron vs Atlanta Braves May 17th, 2024
Matt Waldron faced a dangerous Atlanta Braves team earlier this May. Waldron rang up 10 Braves batters, including the hot Marcell Ozuna twice, through just 5.2 innings pitched. The former Cornhusker only issues two free passes. Five of Waldron’s ten strikeouts came with a knuckleball on the third strike. At some point during each strikeout, Waldron utilized his knuckleball. The right-handed pitcher only gave up one run en route to a 3-1 win.
Steven Wright vs Los Angeles Dodgers August 5th, 2016
It should come as no surprise that Wright’s lone All-Star season is the same year he had his most dominant performance. Squaring off against Scott Kazmir and the second-place Dodgers, the former Rainbow Warrior took the mound for the Boston Red Sox. Steven Wright scattered three hits over his complete game shutout. Wright gave up a double to Justin Turner in the first inning and would not give up another hit until the ninth. He struck out nine batters to his one walk while cruising to his 13th victory of the season. Wright utilized his knuckleball in all nine of his strikeouts.
Tim Wakefield vs New York Yankees September 11th, 2005
2005 was a prime year for the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry. This Sunday day game was a pitcher’s duel between New York’s Hall of Famer Randy Johnson and Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. The 55,000+ at Yankee Stadium saw these two legends pitch their A games as the season dwindled to October. After getting the first two outs in the first inning, Wakefield gave up a solo home run to Jason Giambi. This ended up being the only run that Wakefield gave up through an eight-inning complete game. This was also the only run the Yankees would need to get the win. Despite only giving up three hits and one walk Wakefield would be the losing pitcher this day. Wakefield struck out 13 Yankees in one of the most dominating complete game losses you can pitch.
Tim Wakefield, Knuckleball (Slow/HP view). pic.twitter.com/YCID459Dyk
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) December 15, 2018
R.A. Dickey vs Baltimore Orioles June 18th, 2012
The 2012 National League Cy Young winner had lots of bright spots during his breakout season with the Mets. R.A. Dickey would lead the league in strikeouts, complete games, shutouts, and innings pitched in 2012. Of his 20 wins during 2012, one stood out among the rest. After pitching a complete game one-hitter on June 13th, the 6’3 Knuckleballer from Tennessee would take the mound again just five days later. Facing a Baltimore team that was second in the AL East at the time, R.A. Dickey would take the mound for the Metropolitans in Queens.
Dickey would serve up a heavy dose of knuckleballs to the O’s and carry a no-hitter to the fifth inning. Wilson Betemit singled on a line drive to right field after striking out Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds using exclusively knuckleballs. With the score knotted up at zero’s headed into the bottom of the 6th. Dickey led off the inning with a single off Jake Arrieta helping his cause. Jordany Valdespin doubled, and Lucas Duda walked, bringing up Ike Davis. Davis hit the first pitch he saw off of Arrieta over the center field wall for a grand slam. Those four runs would be all Dickey needed for his 11th win of the season. Dickey struck out 13 Orioles to his two walks and the lone hit to Betemit, completing arguably the most dominant game pitched by a knuckleballer since 2000.
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Red Sox Aren't Getting Standout Back Anytime Soon
The Boston Red Sox got some bad news in the infield. Rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer has gotten a lot of time at second base and third base. Since Alex Bregman returned, Mayer has gotten most of his action at second base while also filling in as the Red Sox worked Bregman back slowly. Unfortunately, he's on the Injured List, though, due to a wrist sprain. MassLive.com's Christopher Smith shared the lastest update on Mayer from Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Saturday noted that he's "not gonna play soon." "No new updates on Marcelo Mayer's wrist sprain, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said," Smith shared. "'Just waiting for results and see specialists and all that stuff,' Cora added. 'He's not gonna play soon. So have to make sure where we're at and what the course of action is going to be.'" Losing Mayer is tough. Defense has been a question mark for Boston once again this season but Mayer has helped in that area. With Mayer out, Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to get a lot of action at second base. That helps to alleviate the logjam in the outfield, but also removes arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game. Boston isn't at full strength and Cora noting he's "not gonna play soon" certainly doesn't sound positive. Before going down, Mayer was slashing .228/.272/.402 with four homers, 10 RBIs, and eight doubles. Will the Red Sox add another piece ahead of the trade deadline? It absolutely makes sense at this point.
Titans waive former first-round pick after latest injury
Treylon Burks‘ tenure in Tennessee is on track to come to an end. In the wake of his latest injury, the former first-rounder has been waived. This move has come with an injury designation, which comes as no surprise given the broken collarbone Burks recently suffered in training camp. Injuries have plagued the 25-year-old throughout his brief NFL tenure, which began when Tennessee selected him with the No. 18 pick in the 2022 draft. That selection was acquired by dealing A.J. Brown to the Eagles. Given the link between the two wideouts created by the trade, Burks’ evaluations have always been measured against Brown’s Philadelphia success. During each of his three seasons with the Eagles so far, Brown has earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro acclaim; the 28-year-old was also a key figure in the team’s Super Bowl success in 2025. Burks, by contrast, entered this summer on Tennessee’s roster bubble. The Arkansas product managed a career-best 444 yards as a rookie while being limited to 11 games. Optimism was high that, with better luck on the health front, he could round out his game and develop into a regular on offense with the Titans. Staying on the field has proven to be an issue, however — Burks missed six games again in 2023 and an ACL tear limited him to five contests last season — and when available he has not managed to meet expectations. The collarbone injury accelerated the timing for what could have been a decision to move on from the Titans closer to the start of the regular season. Tennessee’s receiver depth chart will once again be headlined by Calvin Ridley this season. Veteran Tyler Lockett was added in free agency, as was Van Jefferson. The Titans used the draft to add a pair of Day 3 prospects at the position (Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor), and they will look to handle backup roles during their rookie seasons. Tennessee entered Monday with nearly $30M in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if one of the veterans still on the market is targeted in the wake of this move. Burks is now headed to waivers, with all teams free to claim him. Provided he goes unclaimed, he will revert to injured reserve. Situations such as these often result in a release being worked out along with an injury settlement. If that proves to be the case for Burks, his Titans stint will end on an unwanted but unsurprising note.
Chicago Blackhawks at Risk of Losing First Round Pick as Other Teams Pitch Big-Money Offers
Mason West is a talented prospect of the future for the Chicago Blackhawks, but it appears he may look to leave hockey for big opportunities in football. The Chicago Blackhawks landed Anton Frondell with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but it was perhaps their second first-round pick that drew the most intrigue, as they drafted centre Mason West out of the USHL. That pick was intriguing for many reasons, with the 6-foot-6 centre having potential with his talent and his physicality, but now, the team may be in danger of losing the talented 17-year old. According to a report from The Athletic, the No. 29 overall pick has been drawing interest from several NCAA programs to join their team as a football player. Standing at 6-foot-6, the Minnesota native is a star in both hockey and football, tallying 49 points in 31 games at the high school level while also being a star Quarterback, and after putting up 9 points in 10 USHL games with the Fargo Force, the future is bright for him in both sports. Ultimately, at 17-years of age, the future is very bright whichever way West ends up going, but given that the Blackhawks used a first-round pick on him in this past seasons draft, they're clearly confident that they can not only keep him in hockey, but make a good NHLer out of him moving forward.
Stuart Skinner 'Part of the Ask' in Goalie Upgrade Trade for Oilers
Stuart Skinner’s place with the Edmonton Oilers is perhaps less certain than it’s ever been. The expectation seems to be that he will start the season for the team, but in a recent post, The Athletic columnist Allan Mitchell wrote, “Skinner could be involved in a trade for a goalie upgrade. He would be part of the ask.” Given Skinner’s role in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final runs and his team-friendly $2.6 million cap hit, it’s not going to be easy to part with an effective netminder at a low cap hit for a bigger swing. But with new GM Stan Bowman openly evaluating the goaltending depth chart, the Oilers seem willing to explore every option in their all-in pursuit of a Cup. Skinner, 25, has logged 50 playoff games over the past three seasons and proven capable of carrying a heavy load. Yet his playoff inconsistency has left some wondering if the Oilers need a more dependable presence in net. But, it’s not as simple as moving out the backup, keeping Skinner, and getting a clear upgrade. More likely, any team giving Edmonton a true No. 1 is going to want Skinner back as part of the trade. For example, there’s no way the New York Islanders are moving Ilya Sorokin without another plan between the pipes. Jeremy Swayman isn’t coming from Boston unless the Bruins know they have a starter in place for when Swayman is gone. If the Sabres were to trade Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, they’d need a goalie to replace him. This is not to say any of these teams are looking to trade their starters or that serious conversations have been had with the Oilers, but you get the point. There’s risk in moving a young, affordable starter, but if Bowman believes a goaltending upgrade is the missing piece, Skinner’s inclusion could be what seals a blockbuster.
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